Ilgar Mammadov v Azerbaijan

In late January 2013, riots broke out in the city of Ismayilli, Azerbaijan, following a ‘road rage’ incident which was alleged to involve the ruling Aliyev family. The applicant, an outspoken opposition politician and blogger in Azerbaijan, travelled to Ismayilli to observe the events. He posted a description and analysis of what he had seen on his blog on 25 January 2013. A few days later, he was summoned for questioning, and after eight hours of interrogation, was arrested and remanded in custody on public order charges. Both the charges, and the conditions of his detention, were continually extended over the following year until finally in a court hearing in March 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.

The arrest immediately provoked comment in Europe, including from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. In April 2013, Mr Mammadov lodged an application with the ECtHR, claiming that his arrest and detention violated Article 5, Article 6, and Article 18 ECHR.

To read about the judgment in this case, please follow the link below.

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